Bridge construction



Aprll 12, 1927. A. FOL-No BRIDGE c0NsTRucTIoN Filed Sent. 24. 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 l I I 1,624,325 Aprll 12 1927- A. FOLINO BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION Filed Sent. 24. 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 April 12, 1927; 1,624,325

A. FOLINO BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION Filed Sent. 24. 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 A. FOLINO April 12, 1927.

4 Sh eets-Sheet 4 Filed Sent. 24. 1926 uxcutct drmmo Fo/mo Patented Apr. 12, 1927.

ARMINIO FOLINO, OF ROCHESTER, NET V YORK.

BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed September 24, 1-928. Serra-1N0. 137,405.

The object of this invention is to provide a new and improved bridge construction for spanning large and small bodies of water.

This and other objects of this invention will be fully illustrated in the drawings described in the specification and pointed out in the claims at the end thereof.

in the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved bridge construction.

Figure is a longitudinal sectional 'view of the bridge construction.

Figure 3 is a. top plan view of the improved bridge constriwtion.

Figure i ahorizontal sectional View oi the pier of the bridge construction, the section being taken on the line of Fig. 1.

Figure?) is a horizontal sectional view of the pier of the bridge construction, the section being taken on the line 55 oi Figure 1,

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a bridge section transformed into floating aeroplane and air ship carrier and landing field.

In the several figures of the drawings like reference numerals indicate like parts.

The bridge construction i'orniing the sub-- je'ct matter of this invention is intended for use in bridging wide bodies of water as for example the English Channel although the construction may also be used to bridge shorter distances. The CODY-Billlt'fifilOtl provides tor the rising or falling of the tide as well as the eiipai'ision ot' the bridge sections to prevent their buckling and keep them in line with one another.

The bridge construction comprises the end piers 1 and 2 between which the floating bridge section 3 is suspended. Only one of these floating bridge sections is illustrated in the drawings but it is understood that any number of them may be placed end to end and locked together to span any desired distance between the fixed piers.

The pier construction which will first be described is identical at both ends except for an interlocking member as will be presently pointed out. Each pier is mounted between a, pair of fixed uprights i, 4 forming vertic-al guides. These uprights are up lement.- ed by other uprights 5', 5 from which the uprights at. 4 are braced by the horizontal members 6, 6 at the top and the horizontal members 7, 7 at the bottom. Between the vertical upright guides 4, i is mounted the pier proper. This pier comprises the uprights 8, 8 in each of which is formed a vertical guide groove 9. The upright guides 4-, 4; project intothe vertical guide grooves 9 and guide the pier in its up and down movement as w ill hereinafter be described.

Supported by the vertical guides 4:, 1 is the platform 10 and supported by the uprights 8-, 8 is the platform 11. A. spring or cushioning member 1-2 is interposed between these two platforms, On top of the platiorm 11 is mounted the yoke 13 which straddles the cross member 1% supported on top oi and between the vertical guides 1, 4. Normally the platform 11 supports this cross member 1 1 through the yoke 13. The upright guides 42, 4 and ur'nights 5., 5 are anchored' in a suitable foundation and in this foundation is provided the pocket 15. In this pocket is located the sliding member 16 which is mounted between the cross members 17 and 18 of the uprights 8, 8; Interposed between the cross members 17 and the bottom of the pocket 15 is another cushioning member which together with the cushioning member 12 cushion the movement of the pier on its up and down movement.

The road bed 20 is supported on top of the cross member 18 and is connected with the fixed road bed leading up to the pier so that the road bed is supported by the pier. The pier carries a bridge connecting inei'nber which is suspended from the top of the pier by means of the arm 21. This arm projects horizontally from the top of the pier to ward the bridge sections. The bridge connectin'g member comprises suitable uprights 22 and 23 which are joined together at the top by the cross members 27 and 28 located at the top and bottom of the arm 21. The two cross mei'nbers thus form a narrow slot bet-ween them thr'u which the arm 21 projects to allow the bridge connecting 1118111" ber to slide back and forth thereon Figure 2.

The uprights oi the bridge connectin member extend downon either side of the sliding member 16 and on the lower end thereof carry the outwardly projecting su pending arms 29; Cross members 30 and 31 are supported between the uprights of the bridge connecting memberand pass over the top and bottom or" the sliding member 16 to el'nbrace it so that it will move up and down the ewith.

The bridge sections 3 which are adapted to span the distance between the piers l and sate made as floating sections and each of lliem is mounted on a pair of boat hulls 32 and 33. These boat hulls are of suitable length and width and are connected together and spaced at the bottom by the connecting beams 34. From the hulls project the pillars 35 which in turn support the road bed of the bridge section and the superstructure mounted above it. Suitable connecting beams 36 connect the pillars 35 at the top so that the boat bulls are tied together both at the bottom and the top. An arch 37 is formed between each pair of the bout hulls which arch is made large enough to allow boats to pass therethru after the bridge section is mounted in place between the piers.

Above the road bed of the bridge section is mounted a suitable superstructure 38 comprising arches and connecting beams and this structure in turn is suspended by the truss work 39. The truss work is attached at each end to the bridge suspending mem bers in order to supplement the support of the bridge section by the floating hulls 32 and 33. Yielding spring members 40 and 41 connect the center of the truss work 39 with the outer ends of the arms 21, of the pier construction.

As above pointed out each bridge section is adapted to float and is constructed as a separate unit. In building the bridge the piers l and 2 are therefore built up and mounted in place as a separate unit while each of the bridge sections 3 of the number that are needed is also constructed separately. When all of the units are com pleted the bridge sections are floated in place between the pier.

In order to securely lock and connect the bridge sections to the pier and to each other, suitable interlocking members are provided. As illustrated the pier 2 at the right hand end of the bridge is provided with an angular projection 45 which projects into a vertical slot 46 provided at the end of the bridge section 3 and engages the angular wall of the boat hull 33. A similar connection is made between the other end of the bridge section 3 and the left hand pier except that on this end the angular lug 4:7 is provided on the bridge section and projects into a slot 48 provided in the sliding member 16. A. lur; 47 is thus provided on one end of the bridge section while a slot 46 is provided at the other end so that consecutive bridge sections can be made to interlock with one another and hold each other in line with the end piers. A further means for inter locking consecutive bridge sections is provided by the sliding bolt 50. This bolt is mounted in the bottom of the boat hulls 32 and 33 and can be moved so as to slide from one bridge section to another into a suitable opening in the side of the bridge section.

When the bridge sections are floated in place between the piers they are placed on top of the imtvvardly projecting arms 29 ol the bridge connecting members. In this way the bridge sections placed against the piers at each end of the bridge are connected to the pier by the bridge connecting members oi? each of the piers.

The boat hulls 32 and 33 are partially filled with concrete to strengthen them but still keep them buoyant enough so that on the rise and hill of the tide, the bridge sections will rise and fall with it, and due to the tonne tron between the bridge sections and the pier construction as above pointed out, raise or lower the pier with it.

The cushioning members 12 and 19 at the top and bottom of the piers serve to cushion the movement of the piers in either direction. In fitting the bridge sections together and connecting them to the piers it is necessary to provide a sliding connection between the bridge section and the piers in order to allow for any difference in the length of the bridge sections as well as the expansion and contraction thereof. The sliding connection is provided by the sliding member 16 carried by each of the piers. This sliding member is located in the pocket 15 and is adapted to slide back and forth in the lower end of the pier and its bridge suspending member to allow for the expansion of the bridge sections that are connected thereto.

The fact that the bridge sections are floating on the boat hulls allows them to rise and fall with the tide. It is therefore necessary for the piers to which they are attached at the ends to rise and fall with the bridge sections. In rising and falling the bridge sections carry the sliding members 16 with them as above pointed out and in so doing raise or lower the piers of which the sliding members form a part. The pier then slides between the guide members 4 which hold the piers in a vertical position during their up and down movement. Suitable tie rods are of course added to the connections between the bridge sections and the pier in order to make the whole bridge construction as rigid as is possible under the circumstances.

As illustrated in Figure 6 one oi? the bridge sections can be readily transformed into an air ship and aeroplane carrier and a landing field therefor. This is done by adding suitable platforms to the sides and ends of the bridge section and covering the top of the superstructure so as to provide a suitable runway from which the aeroplanes can take oil or on which they can land. The inside of the bridge section can be readily fitted out as hangars for both aeroplanes and air ships.

I claim:

1. In a bridge construction, the combination of end piers, means for guiding said end. piers in a limited vertical movement,

bridge connecting means carried by said piers and floating bridge sections connected by said bridge connecting means.

2. A bridge comprising end piers, means for supporting said end piers, vertical guide members, on each side of said end piers to guide said end piers, bridge connecting means carried by said piers, a floating bridge section connected between said bridge connecting means and means for interlocking said bridge section With said end piers to make them move up and down With said bridge section.

3. A bridge comprising movable end piers, fixed guide members supporting said end piers, a horizontal sliding member carried by each of said end piers, bridge connecting members slidably carried by said end piers, a bridge section connected to said bridge connecting members and means for interlocking said bridge section with said horizontal sliding members of said end piers.

4. A bridge comprising vertically moving end piers, fixed guide members supporting said end piers, a sliding member carried by each of said end piers and mounted to slide horizontally at the bottom of said end piers, an arm projecting from the top of said end piers, a bridge connecting member slidably suspended from said arm, a bridge section connected to said bridge connecting members and means for interlocking said bridge section With said horizontal sliding members carried by said end piers.

5. A bridge comprising vertically moving end piers, fixed guide members supporting said end piers, sliding members carried at the bottom of each of said end piers and mounted to slide horizontally thereon}, a horizontal arm projecting from the topof said end piers, bridge connecting members slidably mounted on said arms, bridge sections connected by said bridge connecting member, fixed interlocking members at the end of said bridge sections to interlock them with said end piers, and a movable interlocking member carried by each of said bridge sections at the bottom thereof.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

ARMINIO' FOLINO. 

